CommScope to unveil 10G EPON OLT at INTX

April 30, 2015
CommScope (NASDAQ: COMM) plans to use next week's Internet and Television Expo (INTX) in Chicago to show off a new 10G EPON optical line terminal (OLT). Based on DOCSIS Provisioning of EPON (DPoE), the C9516 EPON OLT would appear to be well timed, given Comcast's plans for symmetrical 2-Gbps services via fiber to the home (FTTH; see "Comcast one ups Google Fiber, AT&T with 2-Gbps broadband in Atlanta").

CommScope (NASDAQ: COMM) plans to use next week's Internet and Television Expo (INTX) in Chicago to show off a new 10G EPON optical line terminal (OLT). Based on DOCSIS Provisioning of EPON (DPoE), the C9516 EPON OLT would appear to be well timed, given Comcast's plans for symmetrical 2-Gbps services via fiber to the home (FTTH; see "Comcast one ups Google Fiber, AT&T with 2-Gbps broadband in Atlanta").

CommScope has been active in DPoE for some time, offering the 1-Gbps C9500 OLT (see "CableLabs qualifies first set of DPoE hardware"). The C9516 OLT supports both 1G and 10G EPON in a temperature-hardened platform. CommScope asserts the new platform is the first available to cable operators that combine high-temperature operation with 10G EPON DPoE capabilities.

While FTTH equipment suppliers have privately said that cable operators large and small have been quietly using their equipment for some time, larger operators such as Comcast, Cox, and Bright House Networks have become more public in their embrace of fiber-optic broadband technology over the past year. Comcast in particular has drawn attention for its recent announcement of 2-Gbps FTTH deployment plans. While the operator has not discussed the technology it expects to use to support the new services, 10G PON is a natural fit. Conventional GPON and EPON would not support the 2 Gbps upstream that Comcast says it will offer.

This, of course, leads to the question of whether CommScope is supplying – or at least hopes to supply – the C9516 OLT to Comcast. CommScope Corporate Communications Manager Joe Depa said in an email it was against corporate policy to discuss customers without their permission. However, he wrote the new OLT is in limited availability, with production underway. General availability should occur in June.

"The solution is presently being tested by our customers," he added.

For more information on FTTx equipment and suppliers, visit the Lightwave Buyer's Guide.

About the Author

Stephen Hardy | Editorial Director and Associate Publisher

Stephen Hardy has covered fiber optics for more than 15 years, and communications and technology for more than 30 years. He is responsible for establishing and executing Lightwave's editorial strategy across its digital magazine, website, newsletters, research and other information products. He has won multiple awards for his writing.

Contact Stephen to discuss:

  • Contributing editorial material to the Web site or digital magazine
  • The direction of a digital magazine issue, staff-written article, or event
  • Lightwave editorial attendance at industry events
  • Arranging a visit to Lightwave's offices
  • Coverage of announcements
  • General questions of an editorial nature

Sponsored Recommendations

Transforming the metro network and the evolution of the "Digital Service Provider"

March 4, 2025
Join experts at EXFO and Ekinops in this webinar that will review the evolving metro-centric requirements and the technologies emerging to meet them.

Unveiling the Synergy Between AI and Optical Networking

March 12, 2025
Join us for an engaging discussion with industry experts on the intersection of AI and optics. Moderated by Sean Buckley, editor-in-chief of Lightwave+BTR, this panel will explore...

Innovations Optical Transceivers

March 10, 2025
The continual movement around artificial intelligence (AI) cluster environments is driving new sales of optical transceiver sales and the adoption of linear pluggable optics (...

ON TOPIC: Filling Coverage Gaps, Enhancing Public Safety

Jan. 30, 2025
With the ongoing drive to support AI and the need for high-speed data center interconnection, the call for higher-speed 800G optical technology is emerging. Initially focused ...